The EU Delegation and the embassies of EU member states in Kyiv have issued a statement on the launch of an e-declaration system without certification in Ukraine.
"The electronic asset declaration system launched by the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) on 15 August has not been properly certified and therefore falls short of creating the key legal consequences that the submission of a false declaration should entail. An e-declaration system in test-mode therefore makes little sense and might actually be counterproductive," it reads.
It continues: "Claims that technical deficiencies are behind the failed issuance of a timely certificate are in contrast to public statements by the UNDP and other reliable experts, which clearly underline that the system is fully in line with international standards and can be used to collect and publish declarations in an entirely legal way already at this stage. These are the tasks that the NAPC needs to fulfil as of now."
It called on the relevant Ukrainian authorities at all levels to resolve any outstanding technical or administrative issues without delay, in line with relevant EU-Ukraine commitments.
"Failure to swiftly resolve this issue could undermine Ukraine's important anti-corruption efforts, which are essential for a successful reform process, supported by the EU," the statement reads.
On 15 August, Ukraine launched the e-declaration system without the proper data protection certificate.